Perhaps the most misjudged character ever
by May May Meow
Summary: I found that many misjudge Victor a lot, so I just wanted to shed light on a few things that might have gotten overlooked in the short time we see him.
It irks me that so many xillia fans merely glance over Victor and hence have an incredibly wrong image of him. But I took an interest in him and after a while I figured out that he was so very different than what he seems at first glance.

So I'm taking a few minutes to offer a bit of insight to those that are interested.

Now, we don't get much direct contact with him. A cutscenes in the beginning and then when Elle returns home (for...like half an hour...). But we do get a lot of indirect information throughout the game.

First we look at Elle. She knows him best after all. And she loves him, I hope you all see that. In fact right to the point that he plays peng-peng like a five year old with Ludger on the dinner table most of you probably thought he was awesome. And I really looked forward to finally meeting him throughout the majority of the game the first time around. And why was that? Because the entire time Elle only spoke of all the many great things he did for her and how much she missed him. Impressions of a child, sure, but kids are more perceptive than what many give them credit for.

Now that doesn't mean he's a saint. But Elle trusts him and because of that she sees the best in her daddy.

He next indirect piece of information comes from Rollo.

It's no secret the Tales Series is riddled with cats, but Rollo stands out. He hissed at the fractured Julius in the beginning of the game, at Redaux all the time and on the opposite side of the spectrum immediately took a liking to the fractured Milla.

Rollo is the moral compass of the game. If you want to know how to feel about something or someone, watch the cat. I mean it. Do it! The next time you touch upon that game, watch Rollo and only him. He tells the story all by himself.

And what did he do when faced with Victor? He ran up to Victor with Elle and when he was dying, Rollo sat there next to his head and meowed. He was comforting Victor despite him turning into a catalyst.

And lastly, Ludger.

Yes, there are ten years of a whole row of terrible things in between them and he might seem like an entirely different character, but people don't change. Not really, not in a sense that matters. Perception changes, objectives, priorities and motivations. But the personality stays largely the same.

Now hands up, who thinks Ludger is a bad person? I don't. I think he is naive. Something Victor outgrew at one point (and while we're at it, I think even Ludger overcame that by the end of the game (if you pick anything but the bad ending)).

So... Do I think Victor is a good person, just like Ludger?

Well, we're not done talking about every side of him yet, so I won't answer that yet.

Let's look at his plan next, the reason why Elle ended up with everyone in the first place.

In short, he sends her out as a bait to get Ludger in his range and return to the prime dimension instead of him and finish the trial of Origin.

Have you ever considered that this plan could have failed in so many ways?

Have you ever considered that Victor considered this could fail in so many ways?

I think he did. And it wouldn't have even mattered.

Because Victor was dying and he knew it. And then what? Who would have taken care of Elle then? He burnt too many bridges while keepi her safe and by his side all these years. And he lets go? That's because he's run out of options at that point. So he sent her to the next best person: his alternate self.

And if you need proof that he indeed saw him like that then re watch the cutscenes when he dies. He leaves Elle in his care, but more importantly he insists that Ludger and him are one and the same. Every other fractured version ever said the exact opposite, insisted instead that they were different entities entirely. Okay, yes, that also makes dying probably a bit easier on top of that, but I believe he prepared himself for so long that this would happen. He had to, else he could have never sent Elle away in the first place.

I would also talk about his wish. The wish he would have had in front of Origin.

'To start my life over again'

Nothing says regret quite like that. He wants a second chance, erasing what he did. Now would someone without a heart and whatnot do that? He has a rather comfortable life, aside from the dying, so why not just wish his conversion into a catalyst away? Because dying isn't bothering him as much as dying with regrets like these.

And now why do people mostly past that? Because Jude's a smart guy and when he calls him out for being a terrible person why not follow his reasoning.

But Victor gets so angry and absolutely disagrees and you know what?

He's right!

Jude's not a parent, none of them are. But when I asked actual parents about what they would have done in his place, all 7 were on Victor's side.

No one would have stepped to the side and let their infant child be taken from them and sent to another dimension because this one they were in might be falling apart any day and they needed the key to be someplace else. One has to be a parent to understand one. And Bisley might be a father, but never acted upon it. So of course they clashed. And all the others, Julius, Jude, Leia and everyone... None of the, understood that. They two wanted the best for the world, but they misjudged the situation terribly.

Thei fault? Not really... His fault for killing them? Umm, yes, but he chose the lesser evil. The thing he could live more easily with over giving up his daughter.

So, let's wrap it up...

Victor is not the villain most consider him to be. He's an antagonist because his goals don't line up with what the main character wants. And I would never blame anyone for taking Ludger's side, but I felt the need to illuminate the situation for everyone.


End file.
